Langhorne Speedway

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Langhorne Speedway

"The Big Left Turn" "The Track That Ate the Heroes" "Puke Alley"
Location	Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Capacity	Approximately 60,000
Owner	National Motor Racing Association 1926-1929, Ralph "Pappy" Hankinson 1930-1941, John Babcock 1946-1950, Irv Fried and Al Gerber 1951-1971
Operator	Langhorne Speedway
Opened	1926
Closed	1971
Former Names	None
Major Events	AAA Championship Car Langhorne 100 (1930-1955) USAC Championship Car Langhorne 100 (1956-1970) NASCAR Grand National (1949-1957) Langhorne National Open (1951-1971)
Circle
Circuit Length	1.6 km (1 mi)
Banking	minimal

Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia.

The speedway was built by a group of Philadelphia racing enthusiasts known as the National Motor Racing Association (NMRA), and held its first race on June 12, 1926 (scheduled for May 31 but postponed by rain). Freddie Winnai of Philadelphia qualified in 42.40 seconds, a new world's record for a one-mile (1.6 km) track; and went on to win the 50-lap main event. According to Walter Chernokal, Langhorne was the first dirt track built specifically for automobile racing. The track's unique circular layout earned Langhorne the name "The Big Left Turn".

The NMRA operated Langhorne through the 1929 season, staging 100-lap events on Labor Days and occasional shorter races. Difficulties in track preparation, management disputes, and poor attendance drove the speedway to the brink of bankruptcy until noted promoter Ralph "Pappy" Hankinson took over in 1930. With partner "Lucky" Teeter, Hankinson brought in AAA Championship 100-lap races and continued stage shorter "sprint" races on the circular track. One of the first stock car races in the northeastern U.S. was held at Langhorne in 1940. Roy Hall of Atlanta, Georgia was victor in the 200-lap event.

Both Hankinson and Teeter died during World War II, and control of Langhorne Speedway passed to John Babcock and his family. Then in 1951, Irv Fried and Al Gerber became promoters. During this era, Langhorne hosted races for the United States' major national series: AAA and USAC Championship Cars, and NASCAR Grand National. It also hosted the nation's most noted race for the Modified division. The first post-war stock car race run at the facility was a National Championship Stock Car Circuit (a forerunner to NASCAR) race in 1947, with Bob Flock taking home the checkered flag.

Catering chiefly to USAC's Championship Car division, in 1965 Fried and Gerber changed the track layout to a "D" by building a straightaway across the back stretch, and they paved the surface. However, as suburban growth engulfed the speedway, the offers from developers became too tempting to refuse. Fried and Gerber announced the sale of the property to mall developers in 1967, but the speedway held on through five more seasons. The final checkered flag fell on October 17, 1971 at the National Open for Modified stock cars.

Contents 1 "Indy cars" at Langhorne 2 Langhorne in NASCAR pioneering years 3 Langhorne National Open 4 Deaths and serious injuries 5 Site after closure of speedway 6 Race history 6.1 AAA Champ Car 6.2 USAC Champ Car 6.3 NASCAR Grand National 6.4 Langhorne National Open 6.5 AMA 100 Mile National Speedway Winners 7 References

[edit] "Indy cars" at Langhorne

AAA sanctioned Championship Car races at Langhorne Speedway twelve times between 1930 and 1955.

USAC sanctioned Championship Car races there from 1956 to 1970, won by such famous names as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Gordon Johncock, and Eddie Sachs.

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

American Motorcycle Association(AMA) sanctioned National Championship Motorcycle races at Langhorne Speedway between 1935 and 1956.

[edit] Langhorne in NASCAR pioneering years

In September of 1949, Langhorne hosted the fourth race of NASCAR's first year of sanctioning unmodified cars, then called Strictly Stock. Curtis Turner won that race. ^[1] The Strictly Stock series was renamed the Grand National series for the 1950 season, and the series is now known as Sprint Cup. Langhorne continued to host an annual stop on the Grand National schedule from 1950 to 1957. Some of the era's top drivers won those Langhorne races: Curtis Turner again, Fonty Flock, Herb Thomas, Dick Rathmann, Tim Flock, Buck Baker, Paul Goldsmith, and Fireball Roberts.^[2]

[edit] Langhorne National Open

From 1951 to 1971, Langhorne Speedway hosted the Langhorne National Open, which became the nation's most prestigious race for Sportsman and Modified cars. Guaranteed starting positions were awarded to the winners (or highest finishers not already qualified) at special Langhorne Qualifier races held at weekly racetracks throughout the Northeast and Southeast. It was common to have over a hundred cars attempt to qualify for the National Open. From 1951 to 1957, the race was sanctioned by NASCAR. In 1961 and 1962, Supermodifieds raced with the Modifieds and Sportsman cars. Dutch Hoag was the most successful driver, winning five times. Hoag was the only driver to win the National Open on both the dirt and pavement surfaces.^[3]

[edit] Deaths and serious injuries

The track became known as one of the more dangerous tracks in motorsports. Larry Mann, Frank Arford, Bobby Marvin, John McVitty, Joe Russo, Mike Nazaruk, and Jimmy Bryan were all killed racing at this track. In the first National Open in 1951, a large wreck blocked the track and burned driver Wally Campbell, that year's NASCAR National Modified Champion.^[4] Several other noted drivers were injured in accidents, often described as spectacular, due to high speeds on the mile-long but rough dirt surface.

In 1965, one of the most spectacular comebacks in auto racing history began with the serious burns and injuries to Mel Kenyon. Kenyon would later return to racing to place third at the Indy 500 and win numerous national midget racing championships.

[edit] Site after closure of speedway

Today the site of the once-famous racetrack is home to multiple big-box stores, a major shopping center, and a future residential development. However, a historical marker has been erected at the intersection of U.S. Rt. 1 and Woodburne Road to indicate the site of the past speedway.

[edit] Race history

[edit] AAA Champ Car

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Chassis	Engine
1930	May 3	Bill Cummings	Miller	Miller
1935	October 13	Kelly Petillo	Wetteroth	Offy
1940	June 16	Duke Nalon	Adams	Sparks
1941	June 22	Duke Nalon	Adams	Sparks
1946	June 30	Rex Mays	Stevens	Winfield
1947	June 22	Bill Holland	Wetteroth	Offy
1948	June 20	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1949	October 16	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1950	June 25	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1951	June 24	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1954	June 20	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma	Offy
1955	June 19	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma	Offy

[edit] USAC Champ Car

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Chassis	Engine
1956	June 24	George Amick	Kuzma	Offy
1957	June 7	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma	Offy
1958	June 15	Eddie Sachs	Kuzma	Offy
1959	June 14	Van Johnson	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1960	June 19	Jim Hurtubise	Kuzma	Offy
1961	June 18	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1962	July 1	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1962	August 26	Don Branson	Watson	Offy
1963	June 23	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1964	June 21	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1965	June 20	Jim McElreath	Brabham	Offy
1965	August 8	Jim McElreath	Brabham	Offy
1966	June 12	Mario Andretti	Brawner Hawk	Ford
1966	August 7	Roger McCluskey	Eagle	Ford
1967	June 18	Lloyd Ruby	Mongoose	Ford
1967	July 30	Mario Andretti	Brawner Hawk	Ford
1968	June 23	Gordon Johncock	Gerhardt	Offy
1968	July 28	Al Unser	Lola	Ford
1969	June 15	Bobby Unser	Eagle	Offy
1970	June 14	Bobby Unser	Eagle	Offy

[edit] NASCAR Grand National

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Manufacturer
1949	September 11	Curtis Turner	Oldsmobile
1950	April 16	Curtis Turner	Oldsmobile
1950	September 17	Fonty Flock	Oldsmobile
1951	September 15	Herb Thomas	Hudson
1952	May 4	Dick Rathmann	Hudson
1952	September 14	Lee Petty	Plymouth
1953	May 3	Buck Baker	Oldsmobile
1953	June 21	Dick Rathmann	Hudson
1953	September 20	Dick Rathmann	Hudson
1954	May 2	Herb Thomas	Hudson
1954	September 26	Herb Thomas	Hudson
1955	April 24	Tim Flock	Chrysler
1955	September 18	Tim Flock	Chrysler
1956	April 22	Buck Baker	Chrysler
1956	September 23	Paul Goldsmith	Chevrolet
1957	April 14	Fireball Roberts	Ford
1957	September 15	Gwyn Staley	Chevrolet

[edit] Langhorne National Open

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Home State
1951	October 14	Hully Bunn (relief driver: Dick Eagan)	Connecticut
1952	October 12	Jim Delaney	New Jersey
1953	October 11	Ted Swaim	North Carolina
1954	October 10	Frankie Schneider	New Jersey
1955	October 9	Pete Corey	New York
1956	October 14	Dutch Hoag	New York
1957	October 13	Glenn Guthrie	District of Columbia
1958	October 12	Jim Delaney	New Jersey
1959	October 11	Jim Delaney	New Jersey
1960	October 9	Dutch Hoag	New York
1961	October 8	Bob Malzahn	New Jersey
1962	October 14	Frankie Schneider	New Jersey
1963	October 13	Dutch Hoag	New York
1964	October 11	Freddy Adam	Pennsylvania
1965	October 10	Bill Slater	Connecticut
1966	October 9	Will Cagle	New Jersey
1967	October 8	Dutch Hoag	New York
1968	October 13	Dutch Hoag	New York
1969	October 12	Ray Hendrick	Virginia
1970	October 11	Merv Treichler	New York
1971	October 17	Roger Treichler	New York

[edit] AMA 100 Mile National Speedway Winners

Season	Winning Rider	Make
1935	Woodsie Castonguay	Indian
1936	J. Lester Hillbish	Indian
1937	Ed Kretz	Indian
1938	Ed Kretz	Indian
1939	Robert Sparks	Norton
1940	Ed Kretz	Indian
1941	Tommy Hays	Harley-Davidson
1946	Johnny Spiegelhoff	Indian
1947	Ed Guill	Norton
1948	Ed Kretz	Indian
1949	Jimmy Chann	Harley-Davidson
1950	Billy Huber	Harley-Davidson
1951	Billy Huber	Harley-Davidson
1952	Rick Fisher	Triumph
1953	Paul Goldsmith	Harley-Davidson
1954	Everett Brashear	Harley-Davidson
1955	Brad Andres	Harley-Davidson
1956	Everett Brashear	Harley-Davidson

REFERENCES: AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVES AND JACK VANINO MOTORCYCLE HISTORIAN

[edit] References

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